Kuromukuro

AI, or alien technology, can be a tool for making human existence easier; however, experts warn that it may become deadly in the future. What's the worst that could happen if something goes wrong? According to every movie and story in this genre, you could be the hero who saves the world from the technological menace.

Kuromukuro is a Japanese mecha anime television show directed by Tensai Okamura and written by Ryō Higaki, with characters created by Yuriko Ishii and music by Hiroaki Tsutsumi. The series was created to commemorate the 15th anniversary of P.A. Works. It is a 26-episode anime series that P.A. Works produced and debuted on April 7th, 2016.

This 26-episode original anime was categorized as action and sci-fi and had the theme of Mecha. Until episode 18, protagonist Yukina provides a short narration at the end of each episode about the featured mecha in this series, comprising geoframes, relics, vehicles, and infrastructure. General information on each mecha is also provided for linguistic use. Each episode ran 24 minutes and was rated R-17+ for violence and profanity.

Kuromukuro: A Ghost at a Speed of 290,000 km per Second, a light novel sequel to the series, was released in 2018 on the "P.A. Books, P.A. Works" ebook label. From June 2018 until its end in the seventh volume in November 2018, the novel was published in sections monthly. The story continues after the end of the TV series and follows Yukina and Sophie on their journey aboard the Kurobe starship in pursuit of Kennosuke.

An ancient artifact was discovered during the construction of the Kurobe Dam, prompting the establishment of the United Nations Kurobe Research Institute. Intellectuals from all over the world gathered to study the object, and the children of those researchers, including the institute's director's daughter, Yukina Shirahane, attended Mt. Tate International Senior High School.

Yukina Shirahane is on her way to her mother's employer, the UN Kurobe Laboratory, and is taking a tour of one of the research sections while she waits for her mother. The "black relic," a sizeable dark cube of unknown origin discovered alongside the original artifact, a giant anthropomorphic mechanical robot, is revealed to her. She places her palm on the massive cube, which activates and opens, revealing an alien robotic invader in the room. When the lab is attacked from above, an explosion destroys the experimentation area, knocking most of the staff to the ground, including Yukina.

To Yukina's surprise, a naked Kennosuke Tokisada Ouma bursts out of the cube with an unusual katana. He proceeds to defeat and destroy the alien robot afterward. Yukina's adventure in Earth's war against a technologically advanced extraterrestrial force begins here…

Kuromukuro aspires to be more than just your conventional robot-war drama, in addition to being a ride of emotions. It wishes to capitalize on its characters. The story also includes a few historical details from 450 years ago.

The anime's tone is both somber and amusing. It blends aspects of action, science fiction, drama, and romance well. The combat scenes are melee-focused, with the mecha failing to compete with everything else and having restricted abilities.

The characters are interesting, and you will see them mature as the season progresses. The ways they communicate are also well-designed. We have our standard mecha pilots: "Exterminate all demons," Kennosuke, the apprehensive "don't wanna kill" Yukina, the deadpanned "Perform your duties" Sophie Noelle, voiced by Reina Ueda, and her butler Toshiyuki "Sebastian."

The most intriguing character is Ouma, the main male protagonist born during the Sengoku period. He becomes Yukihime's guardian and develops an odd attachment to Yukina because she has the same face as his princess. Kennosuke Tokisada Ouma was a young samurai from the Washiba clan who lived in the Kurobe area during the Sengoku Jidai period. He fought off the aliens with the help of his titular Kuromukuro until he was ultimately defeated and frozen until the present moment, when the aliens reappeared.

He was born in the Sengoku period, so it stands to reason that he has some learning to do in the area of modern technology. Kennosuke is frank, quick to anger, and sometimes stubborn. On the flip side, he has a lot of determination and never gives up. He had difficulty integrating into society because he was from the past and had awoken in the present. He also displayed the typical "What's a phone?" behavior. However, he eventually caught on, like a caveman purchasing car insurance.

Yukina is the archetypal adolescent in almost any science fiction novel. I'll be honest and say that she didn't make the best first impression on me, but that's because she constantly feels inadequate and plays the role of the damsel in distress.

Before gaining true battle expertise, she felt more like somebody who needed to be saved than someone who could save others. Fortunately, the program is able to render her more appealing as the plot progresses, revealing a more powerful aspect of her character. Overall, this program had a wonderful deal of character development, an excellent balance of character chemistry, and just enough romance to keep me pleased, especially given the amount of time on screen allocated to combat sequences.

The main antagonist characters in Kuromukuro are Muetta Yukihime, and the Efidolg race themselves. The Efidolg race is an alien race that invades Earth. They come to Earth to take out the pilots of Kuromukuro (Geoframes). Muetta Yukihime is an Efidolg officer who operates the Medusa geoframe and can navigate the Kuromukuro. Muetta is a clone of Princess Yuki, grown using her DNA aboard an Efidolg ship according to Efidolg's attitude to creating on-site clones of essential figures.

Geoframes are sizable robots that a human operator can control remotely in the Kuromukuro anime. These humanoid or semi-humanoid robots were created by the Kurobe Laboratory Development Division using a device called a "Gravity Furnace" to regulate gravity. Kuromukuro, also known as the "Black Relic" or the "Black Grongol," is a geoframe with two seats and a very large mecha discovered near the Kurobe Dam, along with a black cube. It is the main Geoframe in the series.

In terms of art and animation, P.A. Works is expected to feature a great deal of background detail again. It's not unheard of for character designs to look sloppy, but it happens occasionally. While the CGI robots are easily discernible, most mechs are not, and sometimes the two are blended rather effectively.

Because of the various and distinctive mech designs, the mechanical battles became even more action-packed and fluid thanks to how P.A. Works merged CGI and conventional animation. The CGI was utilized sparingly, and it was avoided wherever possible. You get some excellent mech battles when you add Yukina's tactical strategies. Overall, the studio did a fantastic job with the animation, which was to be expected.

Kuromukuro's musical score works well when it comes to its soundtrack. It has a harmonious feel and is noted for its profound feelings. The voice mannerisms, on the other hand, are passable at best. Yukina's voice took some getting used to, and Sophie's tone was far too mild for someone of her talent.

Of course, Ouma sticks out, particularly with his strong voice, which I find difficult to ignore. The opening theme is Glay's "Deathtopia" (Desutopia), while the closing tune is Michi's "Realistic" (Stikku). The opening theme for the following 13 episodes is Glay's "Ch Onsoku Destiny" (Supersonic Destiny), and the ending theme is Ami Wajima's "Eien Loop" (lit. Eternal Loop).

In conclusion, the show is for you if you like mecha and realistic interpersonal drama. Kuromukuro is similar to Escaflowne. Both main characters are multifaceted and likable, and the plot is chock full of twists and turns. So, sure, give it a shot if the styles sound appealing. Fairly recommended!